Review: Noughts and Crosses: 1

Price: £ 1.99 ebook

Publisher: RHCP Digital

I've always been aware of MB, especially when she was made Children's Laureate and when she appeared in a Tinie Tempah song....so I've always been keen to get on this series...here it goes.

Callum and Sephy are friends but they are from two very different back grounds, upbringings and circumstances for them suck in general. We are looking at how their lives and friendship develops as they live in the segregated world of noughts and crosses, black and white.

I was really interested in reading the foreword so I did so, and I very rarely do that. It was really interesting to see what spurred MB to write this book and start the series so I thoroughly recommend reading this before you start on the novel.

At the beginning it's not 100% clear who is black and who is white. I of course made the wrong assumption, but I'm sure that that is the point of this series as a whole, if not this book alone. It spins perceptions and 'norms' on their heads and that is a fantastically strong comment to make and one that I think should be put forward to everyone. YAs should have this challenge presented to them as people are still far too racist around the world as a whole!

It was really nice to read a YA novel that was set in the UK and that wasn't necessarily set in a dystopian landscape of dismay and destitution. It reminded me a bit of WOC's book in many respects. I know MB probs wrote hers first but I read WOC's first, so sorry about that. 

I did not at all expect the story to be so brutal. It really did get to me quite dramatically and I do challenge anyone of any age or gender not to feel the same.

This book really does stir some very strong feelings. I believe it is because the characters are so powerful along with their beliefs and emotions. It really is an excellent read and one I think As should read as well as YAs. I'm most intrigued to read the next full length novel. Especially as I've read the short story Callum, which I will of course review in due course.

Happy Reading

BG

:-)